Electrical insect exterminator



y 22, I w. F. FOLMER El AL 1,960,084,

ELECTRICAL INSECT EXTERMINATOR Original Filed May 25, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 1 5 0 L 1U u z j e May 22, 1934. w( FOLMER ET AL 1,

ELECTRICAL INSECT EXTERMINATOR Original Filed May 25, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patent ed May 22, 1934 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL INSEC,084 v r EXTERMINATOB William F. Folmer and Harrison L. Chapin,Rochester, N. Y., assig'nors to Folmer-Chapin Corporation, Rochester NewYork ,.N. Y., a corporation of Original application May '25, 1932,Serial No.

613,434. Divided and this 1933, Serial No. 670,141

application May 9,

1 claim. v(o1. 43-112) Our present invention relates to electricalappliances and more particularly to devices for killing flying insectsthrough the use of high tension currents passing through conductors soarranged that when the insect, attracted by a suitable lure, comes incontact therewith, its body closes the circuit and the insect is therebyelectrocuted.

Such an appliance is shown in our copending apw plication, Serial No.613,434, filed May 25, 1932, of which this is a division. The inventionhas for its general object to improve the luring devices referred to,and the improvements are directed in part toward providing an audiblelure attractive to certain insects; and toward incorporating the lure asa part of the necessary electrical connections of the apparatus.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claim at the endof this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of an insect exterminatorconstructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of ourinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the transformer and its mounting;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view, partly broken away, of one ofthe laminations of the transformer; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of audible lure. I

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate thesame parts.

In our prior patent, No. 1,848,614, dated March. 8, 1932, we havedisclosed an insect killer of the general nature involved in the plan ofthe invention herein disclosed. Fig. 1, in part and in a general way,illustrates the device constituting the subject matter of thatapplication. It must be briefly described per se in this case in orderto give an understanding of the object and accomplishments of thepresent invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and first describing themechanical features of the device, 1 indicates a metallic dome crownedby an eye 2 by which it may be suspended. Suspended from this dome inturn is a metallic base 3 consisting of a pan designed to catch thebodies of the insects that are electrocuted in the manner hereinafterdescribed, all as set forth in the patent above referred to. Between thedome 1' and the pan 3 extend a plurality of wires 4 and 5 alternating inpolarity and suitably spaced. These are, of course, insulated from theirsurrounding metallic structure which embodies a guard 6, which preventscontact with the wires 45 by humans, birds or other than the flyinginsects which it is the purpose of the device to destroy. Within thecage 45 that these wires constitute is shown a luminous lure forthemsects, consisting of a'mercury lamp 7, which, however, is notimportant herein as this application is'a division of our pendingapplication, Serial No. 613,434, filed May 25, 1932. That. parent caseis concerned with that particular lure, while another means ofattracting the in sects constitutes the subject matter of the presentcase. It may be said, however, that the lighting circuit or line wiresfor this lamp are indicated generally at 8 in Fig. 1 and also run to thetransformer, indicated generally at 9, that steps up the line voltage,ordinarily 110 volts, to the 3,000 or 4,000 volts required for the hightension killing wires 45. The insulating media for these wires referredto are shown to consist of upper and lower porcelain rings 10 and 11over which the wires are laced.

We have discovered that some insects, such as mosquitoes, are attractedby the sounds emitted by their mates while in flight and also that thesesounds can be artificially mechanically produced to constitute anaudible lure to take advantage of this phenomenon. We have furtherdiscovered that the necessary mechanism can be incorporated in thetransformer 9 itself closely adjacent to the high tension cage.

Whenone of the strata or plates of the laminated field 12 supplying thecoil 13 of the transformer circuit is loosened and the transformer issupplied with current, this plate is set in vibration and produces abuzzing or singing noise suitable for the purpose. In Figs. 2 and 3, wehave shown another simple way of producing this noise, which consists ofpunching from one of the lam nated plates 12 a tongue 13 that vibratesin the manner of the tongue of a reed instrument, except that its rapidvibrations constitute an amplification of the vibrations produced in thetransformer.

In lieu of this utilization of the transformer itself, an additionalsound-producing element, such as that shown in Fig. 4, may be utilizedand placed adjacent to the high tension cage or therein. This consistsof a brass ring 14 supported on a soft steel element 15 adjustable byscrews 16 on a base 17. Also supported on the base is a. coil 18supplied with a 110 volt line current from wires 19. Within the coil isa soft'iron core 20. The ring 14 supports a paper bodies between them,of a source of electrical energy, and a transformer connected therewithand to the electrodes to charge the latter with high tension current,the transformer embodying laminations, one of which is fitted with avibrant tongue adapting the transformenwhen operating, to produceaudible vibrations simulating sounds produced by the insects and to actas a lure for the latter.

WILLIAM F. FOLMER. HARRISON L. CHAPIN.

